Wire line twister



Dec. 14, 1937.

J. A. SMETHERS WIRE LINE TwIsTER Filed March 26,1v 1935 Ill/'111111 zo23 /g/ ABL Jam' e5 f4. me/h ers BW ZW vATTORNEY iNVENT'OR Patented Dec.14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ywlmi LINE 'rwrs'rna James A.hsmethers, Andrews, Tex. Application Maren 26, 1935, sel-m1 No. iaoss 'lClaims.

This invention' relates to adjustable wrenches.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a wrench wherein alimited closing movement of the jaws may be quickly and easilyaccomplished, and at the same time great pressure may be exerted betweenthe jaws.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench havingadjustable means whereby the limited closing movement may be made to`occur at any desired opening of the jaws.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a wrench whereinthe adjusting means is at all times locked against accidental change.

More particularly this invention relates to a wrench especially adaptedto grip a steel cable or wire-line in oil field work and has as itsspecific objects: First, to provide a wrench which may be easily andquickly caused to grasp such a cable, and with great pressure, and whichmay be readily released; second, to provide ysuch a Wrench which may beadjusted to accommodate varying sizes of cables.

In such wire line wrenches, when the tension or twist of the lineaccumulates, it is not uncommon for the wrench to slip, or get away fromthe workman, and the Wrench may be thrown severalfeet. By the aid of thepresent invention, the grip of the wrench is eifected in a positivemanner so that the wrench cannot be freed until the jaw locking deviceispurposely released.

'I'his invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form inthe drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specication. Ishall now proceed to describe this form-in detail, which illustrates thegeneral principles of my invention; but it is lto be understood thatthis `ldetailed description-is not to be taken vin a limiting sense,since the scope of my invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a wrenchvgripping a wire line;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, the jaws beingshown in open positions; and I Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sections on anenlarged scale as seen on correspondingly numbered planesof Fig. 1.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, a steel cable or wireline is indicated by 5 in Fig. 1, and is shown as gripped between amovable jaw 6 and a stationary jaw 1. Each jaw is provided with ahardened steel insert 8, provided with suitable teeth, disposed in anarcuate manner which actually engage cable 5. 'I'hese inserts are heldin place in the jaws by being dovetailed at their inner corners as indi-5 cated by 9, set screws I0 serving to hold .them against slipping.

The stationary or lower jaw 1 is formed 'integrally with a frame II,suitably designed for lightness and strength and arranged to receive 10an extension handle I2. On the back of the upper part of the handlemember, a guide I3 is formed to receive the supporting arm- Il of themovable or upper jaw 6. A boss I5 is formed at the lower part of theguide and has'a pin I6 15 passing through it, the outer ends of whichserve to pivotally support the operating member Il. v

This operating member, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, consists of abar or handle I8, with a pair of side anges I9 and 20 forming cams.

The movable arm M, as shown in Fig. 3, hasy flat sides which cooperatewith the guide I3 to maintain jaws 6 and 'I in alinement. However, armI4 has an extension 21|, which islthreaded, 25 y extending through bossI5, and carrying th'e caml follower on nut 22. This nut 22 hasan upperportion 23, with flat sides and a lower projecting portion or flange 24.'Ihe upper surface of v the ange 2lil is engaged by the faces of cams30.

I9 and 20 while opposite sides of the upperporp tion 23 are engaged bythe inner surfaces ofthe I flanges or cams I9 and-20. A lightcompression spring 25is confined be-v tween the bottom of-arm I4 andbossll encir-f' cling threaded extension 2| andurging jaws 6 and lapart, the amount of this opening being limited by the engagement of camfollower 22 and cams I9 and 2U. I From an inspection of the drawingplain that as cams I9 and-20- are rotated in a counterclockwisedirection from the position shown in Fig. 2,to that shown in Fig. 1,the' action of the cam on the camfo1lower 2.2 will urge jaws 6 and Itogether; and further that the position of cam follower 22 on stem 2|will determine the space between the jaws when the cam has 'completedits movement. `Thus when it is desired to alter th'size cable that thewrench will grip, the operating member is turned to the 50 position ofFig. 2, jaw 6 is pressed downwardly against spring 25. until the sidesoi' the nut 23 of the cam follower 22 are free of the inner surfaces ofanges. I8 and I9. [The flange portion 24 will then be opposite clearancespace 26 in the 55 it will be 40 arm structure toward clamping position,saidl structure having adjustment means cooperating with said cam forvarying the jaw opening in clamping position, said adjustment means'and' cam having cooperating locking surfaces for maintaining said meansin adjusted position, said supporting arm structure also being movableindependently of said cam toward clamping position to free said lockingsurfaces.

2. In a wrench, a frame having a stationary jaw supported thereon, amovable arm with a jaw supported thereon adapted to cooperate with saidstationary jaw, a guide for said arm on said frame, a compression springurging said jaws to open position, an operating member including a campivoted on said frame arranged to urge said jaws to closed position, acam follower secured to said movable arm arranged to cooperate with saidcam to urge said jaws to closed position, the position ofsaid camfollower in relation Ito the jaw on said movable arm being variable,whereby the opening between said jaws may be varied, and locking meansoperable by said cam to maintain said cam follower in adjusted position,said supporting arm structure also being movable independently of saidcam toward clamping position to free said locking surfaces.

3. In a wrench, a frame having a stationary jaw supported thereon, amovable arm with a jaw supported thereon adapted to cooperate with saidstationary jaw, a threaded extension on said arm, a guide for said armon said frame, a compression spring urging said jaws to open position,

, an operating member including a cam pivoted on said frame, a camfollower threadedly mounted on said extension and arranged to cooperatewith said ycam to urge said jaws toward closed position, the position ofsaid cam follower in relation to the jaw on said movable arm beingvariable whereby the opening between said jaws may be altered, said camfollower having a face arranged to engage a faceof the cam in responseto a force normally exerted by said compression spring and restrain saidfollower against rotation unless said faces are disengaged by pressureexerted against said compression spring.

4. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary jaw supported on said frame, amovable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adaptedl to cooperatewithsaidstationaryjaw,saidarmhavingan extension, said frame having a.guide for the arm, an operating member pivoted to the frame including acam, and means cooperating with the cam and longitudinally adjustable onsaid extension for varying the jaw opening, said means and cam havingcooperating locking surfaces formaintaining said means in adjustedposition.

5. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary' jaw supported on said frame, amovable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adapted to cooperate withsaid stationary jaw, said frame having a guide for the arm, said armhaving an extension, said guide including a boss through which saidextension :w: a compression spring disposed around the extensionandurging the arm toward jaw opening position, an operating memberincluding a cam-pivoted to the boss, a cam follower mounted on saidextension and cooperating with said cam to move the arm toward jawclosing position, said cam follower being adjustable on said extensionfor varying the jaw opening in closing position, and locking means tomaintain said follower in adjusted position.

6. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary jaw supported on said frame, amovable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adapted to cooperate withsaid stationary jaw, said frame having a' guide for the arm, said armhaving an extension, said guide including a boss through which saidextension passes, a compression spring disposed around the extension andurging the arm toward jaw opening position, an operating memberincluding a cam pivoted to the boss, a cam follower mounted on saidextension and cooperating with said cam to move -the arm toward jawclosing position, said cam follower being adjustable on said extensionfor varying the jaw opening in closing position, and locking means onsaid follower and cam operable by said spring to maintain said followerin adjusted position.

7. In a wrench, a frame, a stationary jaw supported on said frame, amovable arm, a jaw supported on said arm and adapted to cooperate withsaid stationary Jaw, said frame having a guide for the arm, said armhaving an extension, said guide including a boss through which saidextension passes,` a compression spring disposed around the extensionand urging the arm toward jaw opening position, a nut threaded upon theextension and beyond the boss, said nut having flat sides, as well as aflange, and an operating member pivoted to the boss and having sideanges forming ar cam cooperating with the pression spring.

JAMES A. SMETHERS.

